We spent last weekend in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio to celebrate the 90th birthday of Ruth Stewart, Michael’s grandmother! Our first stop was the Franklin Park Conservatory, which was less than a 10 minute drive from the Columbus airport.

It was a visually exciting place right from the beginning, with beautiful exterior grounds and building architecture. Once inside I was immediately drawn in by texture in the plants, as texture is such an important element in interiors at this moment. The first four photos here are plants from the “tropical rainforest” room, while the bottom four showcase just a handful of the truly exciting textures on display in the “desert” exhibit.

I was most struck by the shots that contrasted the structure of the building with the organic nature of the plants. It reminded me of how very curated this display of “nature” is.

The experience of museum versus natural archive was more manifest in other parts of the conservatory where artwork and installations by glass artist Dale Chihuly are on display.

I loved the glass balls in the “Butterflies & Blooms” exhibit. And how cool is the effect of the fish against the glass?

A different kind of curating was in effect with the display of cultivated butterflies in the exhibit.

After stopping to snap as many butterfly pictures as you can, you are led up a ramp where you can observe your fellow shutterbuggers, turning this into a self-conscious sociological experience as well : ).